In session
by catesy
Summary: Dee and Dum understand the nature of fear better than most. When the Queen gives them an Oyster to play with, they use their favorite type of therapy to pry her open. AliceXHatter
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"Relax, let your mind go. Allow yourself to fall into a deep sleep."

Those were the last words Alice heard before she collapsed into a heap on the floor. The doctors Dee and Dum stood silently over her prone body before exiting the room. This was their favorite kind of session, a type of therapy they themselves had developed.

The twins entered the control room, flicking on monitors and starting the computer sequence which would allow the session to start. Sensors in the room would reach into the girls mind, delving deep into her subconscious and bringing her deepest fears to life. Those fears would be fed into holographic image devices which would transform the room to reflect her inner mind.

"Now brother," Dee said. "We will see what becomes of the white on the walls."

"And watch," said Dum. "While this Oyster shows us her personal hell."

The room slowly morphed, shifting from the hypnotic swirls that Alice had succumbed to, and into a home. The house was small but filled with all the signs of family and childhood. There was nothing menacing or fearful here, it was a typical suburban home.

"Curious. Why would the program choose this I wonder?" asked Dum.

"Logically it stands to reason this place is the root of her fears." said Dee. "Why else would the program choose it?"

As the room finished its transformation, each monitor lit up showing the home from different angles.

One of the smaller monitors showed the door to an empty study, while the largest monitor focused on a room at the far end of the upstairs hallway. The door was secured with several heavy locks.

"I wonder what she could have locked away in there." puzzled Dee.

"The Queen told us to unlock all her secretes brother. We would be remiss in our duty if we did not pry this lock open and see what is inside." stated Dum.

Dee typed quickly on the keyboard, entering the commands which allowed them to alter Alice's dream world. The locks slowly faded away and the door swung open.

"What do you make of that, brother? Should we let it loose on the Oyster?" asked Dum.

"Not yet brother. We must start slowly with her and find out the information our Queen seeks before we have our fun. There is more than one way to pry her open. By the time we're through, we'll have tried them all. "This," Dee said gesturing toward the screen displaying the open door, "We shall save this for last. After we've turned her upside down and inside out, we shall let loose this fear and watch as it destroys her."

"Fear is after all, the mind killer." Dum smiled, showing all his pointed yellow teeth.

"Agreed." said Dee.

Their program was extremely efficient. Once the room was set, the censors would probe her mind further, assessing her fears and trimming them down into simple one word commands the twins could use against the subject.

The computer screen flashed, a list of words showed on the screen: Abandonment, alone, commitment, failure, falling, father, heights, helpless, insecurity, unworthy.

Dee looked over the list of possible weapons. "We best shrink her down to size then. Deal with her child self perhaps."

He typed in the subliminal suggestions they would plant in her mind. These suggestions would tune her psyche, making her believe what they wanted her too. They would make her a child, abandoned by her parents, emphasizing the fact that her _father_ had left her. As a child, she'd be even more impressionable to their suggestion and they would have no problem getting the ring's location and then destroying her mind just for the fun of it.

Their suggestions would alter her perception of reality, making whatever happened in the room real. If they chose too, they could kill her with thought alone. Of course they wouldn't, at least not right away. The Queen had tired of their brand of interrogation and rarely sent them playthings anymore. They'd not waste a perfectly good toy by ending things quickly.

As the session started, Dee pressed the intercom button. "Sheila, we are now in session."

"Yes, Doctor," replied the voice from the intercom. "I'll make sure you are not disturbed."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/n_

_Hello all. This is a story I wrote to get past my writers block for Unexpected Delays. This story is completely done and I will be posting a new chapter every few days. I'm really happy with how this turned out and hope you all enjoy it as well. Feel free to review and let me know what you think as the story progresses. While you all enjoy this story I will be working on finishing Unexpected Delays and should be ready to start posting to that story soon!_

_Enjoy!_

"Hatter!"

"Alice," he smiled, sounding like he was surprised to see her. "Hey!"

He made his way through the crowd, drawing the attention of Oysters and Suits alike. "I was, um... I was afraid I might've missed ya."

"Well, you cut it a little close," she said, teasing him lightly.

"Yeah. I was... trying not to think about it. Anyway, I wanted to say 'goodbye'."

"Goodbye?" Her stomach twisted uncomfortably at the finality of the word. Did he mean goodbye like I'll see you later, or goodbye like never see you again?

"Well… if you ever fancy coming back…" He left the words hanging there and she wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"You want me to stay?" Not that she could, Jack had already told her his plans for the Looking Glass.

"Hell no!" he said, sounding like she'd just asked him if he missed the Queen. "No, you.. you should go home."

He tried to cover up the 'hell no' with a more pleasant tone but it didn't matter. Any hopes or romantic notions she had about the two of them were steadily despairing. She'd had enough bad and awkward first dates to know when a man was trying to politely get rid of her.

Really, how could she blame him? Since she'd showed up in his life, she'd basically destroyed it. He lost his business, his home, he'd been shot and chased by Resistance members and Suits alike, been in a Flamingo crash, captured and had god only knows what done to him, and all of it had been a direct result of her.

If she were him, she'd never want to see herself again either.

Now she felt silly ever thinking there could be more between the two of them. She wished the mirror would just swallow her up and send her home already. "Yeah, I think I've had enough of Wonderland for a lifetime."

"Yes, I am sure you have. Right?" he said, agreeing with her. An awkward silence fell between them and she watched as he glanced over her shoulder. She glanced back to see what he was looking at and saw Jack patiently waiting at the Looking Glass.

"Course I'm sure Jack will clean the city up a bit. When you come back, Wonderland will be a world different I bet."

"I'm not coming back."

He looked surprised by that and she realized he didn't know what was going on. "Jack plans on shutting the looking glass down once everyone is back where they belong. We all need to go home and the Resistance and White Rabbit members living in my world need to come back."

She looked away, her own emotions overcoming her. "I'll never be able to come back again."

"Alice?" One of the Technicians came up behind her and took her arm, leading her away to the mirror.

"Really? We were just..." she heard Hatter start talking behind her but the Technician didn't stop.

Inside, she felt like her heart was being torn apart. How the hell was it possible that she'd become this attached to someone after only three days. She didn't even know the first thing about him. Hell, she didn't even know what his real name was.

She glanced back behind her, Hatter still standing where she'd last seen him. This was the last time she'd ever see him and apparently, he was ok with that. That fact only added to her heartbreak.

She walked the few steps up to the mirror, meeting her own reflection. The man next to her already had his hand on her back, ready to push her forward into the rippling surface. Then suddenly, someone grabbed her right arm, pulling her back.

She turned and saw Hatter. He looked panicked, like the Technician was going to push her off a ledge instead of sending her home.

"Why does she have to be the first to go?" he said looking at Jack and gesturing to the crowd of Oysters behind them. "There's a thousand Oysters here, send some of them off."

Jack stared Hatter down, his expression emotionless. "I wanted to personally see Alice off."

"Can't you just give us a few more moments to... talk?" he looked back at her pleadingly and his hold on her tightened.

She stepped backwards, closer to Hatter and away from the Looking Glass. "Jack, thank you for coming and saying goodbye, but I think I'll be fine now."

Jack looked between the two of them before nodding to the Technician. "Very well." He waved a hand and immediately, a Club was at his side. "When you are ready to return home, tell Nine and he will make the arrangements for you."

The Nine of Clubs smiled and bowed low. "I will be happy to assist you, Lady Alice."

"If you do need me for any reason," Jack added. "Simply ask Nine and he'll contact me."

"Sure. I will." She didn't have time to say much else because Hatter was pulling her away from the mirror and through the crowd. She felt her cheeks flush as she realized everyone, Oysters and Suits, were watching the two of them. She felt completely exposed and was grateful that Hatter was leading them to the door and away from the whispering crowd.

He stopped just short of the door and instead, turned and headed back into the hall and up the stairs leading to the roof. They were up and on the roof before either said anything.

She hadn't expected him to come after her the way he had. The sickening unease had taken hold of her again as she wondered what he had to say. "Hatter?"

"You can't stay here." he said, facing away from her and looking out towards the skyline. "You have a life, a family. You didn't ask to be... dragged into all this." He turned and grabbed her shoulders. "Asking you to stay, to make a choice between here and there would be selfish."

"Hatter." She raised her hands, placing one on his shoulder and the other on his chest.

He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. "It would be wrong, right? It would hurt you, I can't hurt you."

"You wouldn't." she said, her voice shaky and soft, just above a whisper.

She acted before she realized what she was doing. She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his. She'd never been the one to act first; she was always on the receiving end of advances but never made any of her own. She'd fantasized about kissing him. She'd wondered what his lips would feel like, what he would taste like. The kiss was soft, tender, more about sensation than passion. He didn't react to her at first, he just stood there, letting her kiss him. She pulled away just enough so that when she spoke, her lips brushed his. "I trust you, Hatter, more than anyone."

Then suddenly, he pulled her tight against him, his lips capturing hers in a searing kiss. He pushed her back against the wall of the building, pressing his body tight against hers. She melted into him, her hand reaching up and tangling in his hair, knocking his hat off. She held him to her and poured every emotion she felt into this one kiss.

They broke apart, both panting heavily and needing to breathe. She wanted him, wanted to be with him in a way she'd never felt before. "I don't want to leave you, but I _can't_ stay here."

He shifted against her and buried his face against her neck. She let her words hang between them as she ran her hands over his arm and back. She wouldn't push him. She'd give him as much time as she could. What she was asking of him was just as selfish as him asking her to stay but she couldn't think of any other way for them to be together.

He leaned back so he could look in her eyes. He cradled her face in his hands and ran his thumb softly over her skin. "I should tell you how foolish this is. That what we're doing makes no sense and could be a huge mistake."

What he said was true. They'd known each other for such a short time that there was no way they could be certain about their feelings. All she knew was that right now she wanted to be with him more than she'd ever wanted to be with anyone. "Why did you stop me? You said goodbye, you acted like you didn't want to be around me anymore. Why didn't you just let me go?"

"Because the thought of never seeing you again scares the hell out of me." He laughed and shook his head. "I thought that I could let you leave and I'd be fine with it because I didn't have any other choice. I couldn't do it. I don't know what it is about you, but I just can't stay away from you."

She laughed along with him. "You must be crazy."

He tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "Umm… probably. I suppose we're back to plan B then?"

"You're going to have to refresh my memory on what that plan was. We've been through too many of them for me to remember."

His arms wrapped around her waist and hugged her to him. "I believe plan B was, that _we_ both go back to your world."

She trailed her fingers over the backs of his hands. "You want to go back to 'we'? You're not going to change your mind this time, are you?"

"I doubt I could even if I wanted too." He bent his head down and kissed her, this time just a soft caress of lips. "Will you stay here with me while I get my things together? It'll mean you'll have to stay here another day or so, if you don't mind."

She looped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. There was so much they needed to do and figure out, and this definitely wasn't going to be easy. But none of that mattered at the moment. All she wanted now was to be in the arms of the man that had stolen her heart.

They left the mirror hall, informing Nine of Hatters decision and making sure Jack had a way to get a hold of them. They'd need Jack's help in making sure Hatter had what he needed to live in her world. She also wanted to let him know that she would be in Wonderland a few more days.

Nine insisted that they take a few Suits back to Hatter's shop to make sure the building was safe. Hatter was reluctant but had agreed. Once the Suits had done their job and left, Hatter took her up to his flat. It was small, definitely a bachelor apartment.

For as finely furnished as his office had been, she expected his apartment to be just as flashy. Instead the single room was sparsely furnished with just a bed, armchair, kitchen table and chair. The only possessions she could see apart from the rack of clothing in the corner were piles and piles of books surrounding the armchair.

Hatter offered her a change of clothes and first crack at the shower. She gladly accepted and thoroughly enjoyed the hottest shower she'd ever taken in her life. Clean, dry, and happy, she lay down on Hatter's bed while he took his turn in the shower.

She buried her face in his pillow as her eyes grew heavy. She hadn't slept since that strange incident with the cat in the woods and that had only been a short nap at best. Now that she was relaxed and out of danger, she realized just how exhausted she was. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

_It was dark. She didn't know where she was but she knew she was alone. There was nowhere to run and no one to run to. She tried to open the door but it was locked. She pulled against it but wasn't strong enough to break the lock._

_There were voices, coming from upstairs. She couldn't tell what they were saying but she was frightened of them. She just wanted her dad. She needed someone to protect her._

_Then she was pushed to the ground, a hand grabbing her neck. The person was screaming at her. The hand at her throat tightened and it was hard for her to breathe. She fought back but wasn't strong enough. She screamed as loud as she could, hopping someone would hear her._

"Alice!"

She woke up, thrashing against the blanket and pushing her attacker away.

Hatter grabbed her hands and held them tight. "Alice, stop!"

She stopped fighting and looked up. Hatter was on the bed, leaning over her and holding her arms down into the pillows.

"Alice, calm down. It was just a dream." Once she was fully awake he let her go and moved so she could sit up. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think." She tried to remember what had scared her so badly that she would wake up screaming but the dream had already faded from her mind. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"Just a bad dream, I'm not surprised. These last few days have been rough."

She looked around, realizing that the room was almost completely dark save the dim light coming from the kitchen. How long had she been asleep?

Hatter must have been sleeping in the armchair across the room because there was a blanket and pillow there now and it was still reclined back. He could have slept in the bed with her, she didn't mind. They were both too tired to fool around anyway. Of course now that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless, she was beginning to think of better things they could be doing.

"What time is it?" she asked, trying not to get caught staring at him.

"Early." She watched as he ran his hand through his sleep rumpled hair. "You should try to go back to sleep."

He stood up but she grabbed his wrist and stopped him. She didn't want to go back to sleep and she didn't want to be alone. "I don't think I'm ready to go back to bed yet. Do you mind if I stay up for awhile?"

He'd still looked tired and she didn't want to keep him up just because she had a bad dream. "No, that's fine. I'm a little hungry actually. How would you like some breakfast?"

"That sounds great. You go get started and I'll be there in a second."

He nodded and headed to the kitchen while she went to the bathroom. She flipped on the light and turned on the water, splashing it up and over her face. She grabbed a few of the hair pins she'd left on the sink and put her hair up in a messy bun.

She was about to leave when she caught sight of her reflection and noticed a spot on her neck. It was a deep purple bruise on the left side of her neck. She looked at it, unsure of when she'd gotten it or what had caused it. It looked like finger marks but she couldn't remember ever being grabbed by the neck when fighting the Suits.

She decided to ignore it. It was probably nothing. She'd been through so much she was surprised her whole body wasn't one big bruise. Despite what it looked like, it could have been caused by anything. She let her hair back down so it would cover her neck again. She didn't think Hatter would like seeing it and the last thing she wanted to do was upset him.

After all, they were going to cook their first meal together and she wanted it to be perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Alice yawned and as she sorted another pile of Hatter's books. It wasn't the most exciting thing she could be doing, but it did give her time to think about things.

They'd only talked lightly on the subject this morning, but Hatter was concerned with having enough money to live in her world. Right now, he was talking to some of the 'other people' he knew and getting buyers for his things. She tried to tell him that it didn't matter. She had enough money saved up that she'd be able to help him with his expenses.

He didn't like that option, saying that men take care of women, not the other way around. Irritating as that statement was, she chose not to fight about it. It was just the first of many cultural differences they needed to learn to deal with.

Besides, after a crash course on how Wonderland currency worked, she was pretty sure money wasn't going to be a problem. Turns out Wonderland used gold coins and bars as currency. He may not be rich by Wonderland standers, but in her world, he'd be well off. So the only real problem they'd have was finding someone who would trade Wonderland gold for paper money.

Besides money, they'd talked about where he was going to stay. As long as her mother was ok with it, she was just going to have him stay with her until he could find an apartment. They danced around the subject of whether or not she was going to move in with him and she'd somehow managed to avoid giving him an answer.

One thing they had decided on was telling her mother the truth about Wonderland. Hopefully, her mother would take the news well. Jack had explained to her that the mirror would send her back right around the time she left. That meant she was going to come home, just hours after she ran off after Jack, in a relationship with a completely different man. Her mother was going to have as much of a problem with that as she was the fact that Wonderland was a real place. If her mother rejected the idea of Wonderland… well, that was something she didn't want to think about.

The issue of her father was something else she didn't want to think about. She didn't know how her mother was going to take the news of dad's death. Honestly, she still didn't know how _she_ felt about his death.

She heard the door to the shop open and a few seconds later, Hatter came upstairs. He dropped a bag on the bed before coming up behind her and kissing the top of her head.

"I got you something, luv. Close your eyes."

"Hatter, you're supposed to be selling things, not buying them." Even though she was arguing, she still did as he asked and closed her eyes.

"It's just a little something, won't take up much room. Ya can open your eyes now."

His hand was outstretched in front of her, a necklaces dangling down from between his fingers. At the end of the delicate chain hung a little pendent with a beautiful purple stone in its center.

"You like it?" he asked, still behind her where she couldn't see him.

"It's beautiful." She looked up and smiled at him. "You didn't have too, you know."

"I know. I wanted too."

He knelt down behind her and swept her hair up. She waited for him to fasten the necklace around her neck and wondered what was taking him so long. "Hatter?"

Behind her he was still. When he ran his hand over the skin of her neck, she realized he was looking at the bruises there.

"When did you get this? This wasn't there yesterday, was it?" he asked, fingers barely touching her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't remember but probably during a fight with some Suit. Don't worry about it."

He finally clasped the necklace around her neck. "I'm sorry you got hurt. I wish I could have kept that from happening."

He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. "It's not your fault. Besides, I think I gave a lot better then I got."

"Every Suit with a broken bone can attest to that, I'm sure." He took the bag off the bed and handed it to her. Inside was a bundle of clothes. She looked up at him questioningly.

"Not that I don't fancy you wearing my clothes and running about with half your kit off all day. I just thought you might like some things you can wear in public."

"There's a few days worth of clothes here. How long do you think we have to stay?" She understood that time didn't make too much of a difference, given how the mirror worked. Still, she was eager to get home.

"Your boyfriend says it'll take a few days to get my paperwork in order. He says I can't leave till I'm legal."

Hatter had developed a habit since this morning of calling Jack her boyfriend. She'd finally asked him about it after the third time he'd made the reference.

"_Jack's not my boyfriend, why do you keep calling him that?" she'd argued._

"_I just like hearing you say he's not."_

It was childish, but she indulged him. "He's _not_ my boyfriend. When did you see Jack?"

"Oh ya know, in between buying the clothes and the necklace." He moved over to his rack of clothes, pulling out a box and tucking it under his arm. "I got a bloke downstairs interested in doing some buying. While I'm dealing with him, you get dressed. We'll leave in a bit to get my paperwork started."

She hurried and got ready; putting on the dress Hatter had bought for her and her purple coat. She sat on the bed, waiting for him to finish his business. Leaning her head back against the headboard, she closed her eyes, not meaning to fall asleep but inevitably that's what happened.

_She walked to her father's study. If dad was home, he was usually at his desk reading his papers._

_She slid the door open a crack and looked inside. He wasn't there. It was just his empty desk and nothing else. Suddenly, there was a loud thump above her. She turned to the noise and looked over at the staircase. Slowly, she crept towards the stairs. There were men talking up there but she couldn't hear what they were saying. She walked up the first few steps, pausing on the landing before continuing up the rest of the way._

"_Dad?"_

_There was no answer but she could still hear the voices coming from above. She climbed the steps and called out again when she reached the top._

"_Daddy?"_

_A hand reached out and shoved her hard. She lost her balance and started to fall backwards. Screaming, reaching out to grab hold of anything she could._

She woke screaming, clawing at the sheets. Her heart was racing and she could still feel the pain in her shoulder where she'd been shoved.

Hatter ran into the room, looking as panicked as she felt. "What is it?"

Her cheeks flushed and she bent over, hiding her face in her hands. God she'd done it again. The nightmares wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that she kept freaking Hatter out every time she woke up. What the hell was wrong with her?

"It was just a dream." she whispered. "I just had another bad dream."

She heard him sigh. He was probably getting fed up with her. "What about?"

"My dad I guess, I don't know." She reached up and rubbed her shoulder through her coat. "Someone pushed me, I fell down some stairs."

He reached out and brushed back the hair that had fallen into her face. "Sounds pretty bad."

She got up and smoothed the wrinkles out of her clothes. "I'm really sorry I keep scaring you like that. You must think I'm weird or crazy or something."

"I knew you were crazy long before now, luv." he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "I don't mind, in fact, I like that about you."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks a lot."

"Come on," he said, leading her out the door. "We'll stop by this little shop I know on our way home tonight. They sell this special brewed tea that's guaranteed to put you straight to sleep, nightmare free."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/n_

_Thanks for all the great reviews so far! You might notice in this chapter and the chapters that follow, that I reuse a few ideas I've had in the past. The Lower city for example. I also play around a bit with Hatters past but I'll explain that more when I get to that chapter. _

The building they were going to was down in the old part of the city. Hatter explained to her that there wasn't enough room to build out because of the lake so the Hearts had chosen to build up. The Lower City had been all but abandoned during the Queen's reign, which made it perfect for the Resistance.

'Marry Ann's Fancy Fans' was what the sign on the front of the building read. Inside, however, was just a mostly empty room with a reception desk and chairs lining the walls. There were several people scattered around the waiting room, most of them looking bored, some of them sleeping.

The woman behind the desk reminded Alice of the receptionist at the Hospital of Dreams. She looked completely uninterested in what was going on around her and seemed not to notice them standing there until Hatter cleared his throat.

"Name." she said, not looking up from the magazine she was reading.

"Hatter." he answered, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Have a seat till you're called."

They went to take a seat, Hatter grumbling about how rude the woman was as they went. While they waited for him to be called, they chatted quietly with each other. Finally, the receptionist called Hatter's name. However when she tried to go with him, the woman told them in no uncertain terms that Turtle would only see the person who the appointment was made for and no one else.

Hatter started to argue with the woman but Alice stopped him.

"It's ok," she said, stepping back. "I'll wait for you out here. It's not a big deal."

He didn't look happy about it but nodded in agreement and followed the woman to the back of the building.

She sat back down, glancing at the people around her. Were they all here to get papers to travel to her world? It seemed unlikely that Jack would give permission for just anyone to migrate to her world. This could be the Resistance's doing. Maybe these were refugees from the Great Library who didn't want to live under Heart rule.

She leaned back in her chair, wrapping her coat tighter around herself even though it was quite warm. She had nothing to do while waiting for Hatter. There were no magazines to read and of course no TV to watch. She doubted they even had TV here.

She wished that there was something to do. She was still really tired. Even though she did get a few hours of sleep last night, it didn't make up for not sleeping for three days. The nap she took before they left had been anything but restful, and only made her more tired.

There wasn't a lot of noise here, just the quiet murmuring of people talking and the constant humming of a large fan in the corner. There was no clock, so she had no idea how long Hatter had been gone. Boredom eventually took over and she fell asleep.

_She was sitting on the couch, her legs curled under her. The voices were talking again and she sat there, very still, listening to what they were saying. She needed to pay attention and figure out where her parents were. In the quiet of the house, she could just barely make out what the men were saying._

_The men told her how alone she was, that she was small and powerless, that there was no one here who could or would want to help her._

_She pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked slowly back and forth. She didn't want to believe what they said was true, but how could she deny it? There was no one here to help her. She was powerless, she knew that because the Other kept attacking her and she'd never been able to fight back._

_She listened for awhile, feeling sad and alone, but also realizing that they just kept saying the same things over and over again. Maybe they weren't real? Maybe the radio or the TV had been left on and the voices were just playing over and over again._

_She looked over the back of the couch and at the stairs. That was where the voices came from, and the Other was up there as well. If she stayed still and didn't move too much, maybe the Other wouldn't come down and hurt her again._

_She closed her eyes tight and wished she was anywhere but here. She wanted that nice man to come and get her. Sometimes, when the Other attacked her or the men made her scared, the nice man would save her. He made her feel safe and she didn't understand why he wasn't here now._

_She heard a door slam upstairs and knew that the Other was coming to hurt her again. She ran from the living room and into the kitchen. She pulled against the back door but it was locked. She could hear the pounding of feet coming down the steps and knew she didn't have much time to hide. Quickly, she opened the cupboard under the sink and ducked inside. She pulled the doors closed and scooted as far back as she could, trying to stay quiet and hidden from the Other._

_It did no good. The doors swung open and a hand reached inside, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the cupboard. She struggled, holding on to the cabinet and kicking out at her attacker with her feet. It did no good; she was pulled away from the cabinet and swung towards the kitchen table. She held her free hand up, trying to protect her face from impact._

She woke up, screaming. Her hands had a white knuckle grip on the arms of the chair as she leaned forward. Her arm was throbbing in pain. Her dream stayed with her this time and she remembered most of what had happened. Unbidden, a sob escaped her.

She looked up and saw that everyone was staring at her.

She'd done it again, and this time in front of a room full of strangers. She quickly got up and ran out the door, not stopping when she left the building. She hurried along the street and around the corner pressing her back to the building.

She tried to calm down and not think about the way she had just publicly humiliated herself. She was going crazy, there was no other explanation. Maybe it was being in Wonderland that was doing this to her. She had to get out of here. If she could just get home then maybe everything would be all right.

"Alice!"

She heard Hatter calling for her. God, he must have heard her scream, _again_. Even if he hadn't heard her, everyone in there would have told him how she'd screamed and ran from the room like a crazy woman.

He called for her again and as much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't hide from him.

"Here" she called out.

He rounded the corner, hurrying over to her. "What happened? Did you fall asleep? Was it another nightmare?"

She stared at the ground, avoiding looking at him. "I was just so tired, I couldn't help it. I'm sorry I made a scene in there, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that."

"Never mind about them, they're not important." She glanced up and watched as he pulled his hat from his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you remember what you dreamed?"

"Only a little. Why?"

"Why? Because it's important, don't you think?" he asked. "You wake up screaming every time you close your eyes. I think it's time to stop ignoring whatever this is and try to stop it."

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it. It's just a dream, it'll stop eventually."

"Maybe, or maybe it won't. You're tired, you've barely slept in four days and these nightmares aren't letting you rest when you do sleep." He took her hand and held it in his. "Alice, please. I feel helpless right now. I _want_ to help you but I can't if you don't let me. This is all in your mind, if you don't tell me about it, I can't help you."

He looked hurt, and she knew there was no way she could refuse him. She started telling him what details she could recall.

"I remember sitting on the couch in my parent's old house. Someone was chasing me and I hid under the sink. They found me and grabbed my arm, hard, and pulled me out. I wasn't strong enough to fight back. There were men talking, they were telling me things..."

"_You're a child, powerless, helpless."_

"_You've been left alone because there's no one who wants to help you."_

"_You are all alone, Daddy's gone, and he's not coming back."_

"_No one loves you."_

She gasped, feeling like the wind had just been knocked out of her. Her child self hadn't known who those voices belonged to, but she did.

"Dee and Dum." she whispered, more to herself than to Hatter.

"Dee and Dum?"

"The Doctors who had me in the truth room. They're the men I hear in my dreams."

Suddenly, she could hear their voices speaking just like they did in her dreams. She slid down the wall, pressing her palms to her ears, trying to block out the voices in her head.

"Alice!"

His cry cut through the doctor's voices, silencing them. He knelt down and pulled her to him. "They must have done something to you, messed with your mind somehow."

He held her at arm's length so he could look in her eyes. "We'll have to go to the Hospital of Dreams. The doctors there might be able to..."

"No!" She stood up and turned her back to him. "It's just a dream. I must be traumatized or have post-traumatic stress syndrome or something. I don't need doctors. I just need to get the hell out of Wonderland!"

"Alice it's not..." he reached out and grabbed her left arm trying to turn her. His fingers closed around her arm and she cried out as pain shot through her. He let go in an instant and backed away from her. She looked down at her arm wondering why it had hurt so badly when he touched her. He'd grabbed her with his left hand, not his right. Not that he'd ever hurt her with his right hand before.

He reached out and slid her coat off her shoulders, letting it fall down to her elbows. On her forearm was an angry purple and black bruise in the unmistakable shape of a hand print. Slowly, he reached out and gently laid his hand on top of the bruise, his large hand easily covering the smaller mark.

"When did this happen?" he asked, his fingers slowly tracing the outline of the mark.

She honestly didn't know. When she dressed earlier, it hadn't been there. It hadn't even hurt until she'd had that dream.

She shrugged his hand away and pulled her coat back up and around herself. "I must have bumped into something."

He looked at her, dumbfounded. "Really? You bumped into something that looks like someone grabbed you and tried to crush your arm?"

She didn't believe it either, but the alternative simply wasn't possible. She wasn't going to believe it and she wasn't going to_ let _Hatter make her believe it. "It must have. There's no other explanation."

"Yeah, there is. You said in your dream that someone grabbed you. You didn't have that bruise until you had that dream just now. And you didn't have the marks on your neck until you had the dream the first time. It's not a coincidence that they both look like hand marks."

"Hatter, that's impossible unless dreams in Wonderland can actually hurt you." It wasn't possible, it just couldn't be. "They can't, can they?"

"No, they can't." Hatter paused, thinking. "What if it's not a dream? What if they did something to you to make it real?"

She threw her hands up. "And what if we're making something out of nothing?"

He grabbed her wrist, gently like he was afraid to touch her. "Then we'll test it."

"How?" she questioned.

"We're going home and you're going to go to sleep. If you wake up with one more mark on you, I don't care how small it is, we're going to get help."

She didn't argue with him, even though she was scared to fall asleep again. She didn't want to believe any of this and she prayed that when did she fall asleep again, she would have no dreams and wake up like a normal person again.

If she didn't, if she woke up hurt again, Hatter was going to make good on his promise to take her to the Hospital of Dreams. She did not want that to happen. She'd seen how they treated patients there and she didn't want to end up like that, no matter what the end result was.


	5. Chapter 5

Hatter led her blindly through the streets of the city. Neither spoke as they walked, both too lost in their own thoughts. Back at his apartment, she watched as he hurried around, switching on every light he could find.

"What are you doing?" she asked. If he wanted her to sleep, why the hell would he turn the lights on?

He didn't answer until he turned all the lights on. When he was done, he stood in front of her. "Take your clothes off."

"What? Why?"

"Because I want to know exactly where every bump and bruise is on your body and that way, when you wake up with another one, I can prove you wrong and you'll let me help you."

"Oh if that's not the pot calling the kettle black! You're the one that keeps throwing trust around! Do you really think that I would lie to you about this?"

They stared each other down, both silently challenging the other. In the end, she broke first. She huffed and pulled off her coat, flinging it on the bed in anger. She glared at him and it only made her angrier when he returned that glare with a smirk.

She hurried and removed the rest of her clothing until she stood before him in just her bra and panties. "This good enough or do you want me naked?"

He didn't respond, instead he started slowly circling her, touching parts of her body where she knew there were marks. His hand rested on her hip where she had a particularly nasty bruise. "What happened here?"

"I crashed a Flamingo." They hadn't talked about what happened during the few hours they were separated. She hadn't told him yet that she'd flown and crashed a Flamingo in order to get back to the Casino. Of course, he hadn't told her how he'd gotten those burns on his chest either.

"You flew a Flamingo on your own?" he asked, still standing behind her.

"Yeah. You didn't exactly teach me how to land so I just kind of... winged it. The bird slid out from under me and I ended up hitting the ground pretty hard." She was on too much of an adrenaline rush at the time and hadn't realized until later that she'd even been hurt.

He stood in front of her and finished inspecting her. He turned her arms this way and that, looking for marks. His eyes focused on her chest. She'd been too angry before to feel self conscious but now that he was staring at her the way he was, all she wanted to do was hide.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you done yet? It's cold in here."

"Yeah, almost." he said, looking down the line of her body.

"You never did get me that tea you were talking about." Not that she cared, she just wanted to talk about anything other than the fact she was standing half naked before him.

He stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "Hmm, you don't need it. I have a better way to chase your nightmares away."

There was no question what he had in mind and her stomach clenched in the most wanton of ways. She stepped back, only to find she was pinned between him and the bed. "If I don't have a nightmare, then that means I'm right and you're wrong."

"I don't mind being wrong. I think that would work out best for both of us. Don't you?" His hands slid across the soft skin of her stomach and she trembled at his touch. He bent down, kissing her neck and cheek and ear.

He cupped her chin and tilted her head up so she could look in his eyes as he asked her permission. "Ok?"

She nodded then kissed him, pulling him tightly into her embrace. He slowly laid her down on the bed and climbed on top of her. "I'll chase your nightmares away. You'll have nothing but pleasant things to dream about."

He sat up in bed, looking down at Alice sleeping next to him. Her naked form was covered with a light sheet. She looked peaceful enough but he didn't know how long it would take for her mind to slip into a dreaming state. It didn't matter how long it took, he wasn't going to leave her side until she either woke up peacefully or had a nightmare.

He wanted to be wrong, he really did. Maybe it was all just stress. Her whole world had been turned upside down in such a short amount of time. Her father, whom she'd spent most of her life looking for, died in her arms. Anyone would be left scared by that kind of trauma.

Of course trauma didn't explain the bruising.

Dee and Dum had a reputation for making people mad and doing things both unspeakable and unbelievable. In his years serving the Queen he'd heard stories about the doctors. One particularity bad story involved a Resistance member who been captured by the Queen and given to the doctors for interrogation. It was said that when they finished questioning him, they made him believe he was starving and he eat himself.

When March had taken him to the Truth room, he didn't know he'd been handed over to Dee and Dum. He knew they were the same ones who had Alice in the Truth room, but he had no clue they were _the_ doctors. The fact that he'd survived them was amazing. He'd been lucky that all they did was physically hurt him.

He had no idea what they did to Alice. They had been inside her head and were already playing with her fears when he'd saved her. They did something to her and as much as he wanted to, there was nothing he could do to help her. If she got hurt again, he would have to take her to the hospital. He knew she wouldn't like it but what other choice did they have?

"Please, please have nothing but good dreams." He leaned down and kissed her forehead."I love you, Alice."

_A/n_

_This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I felt it ended at a good point. No dream in this one either. There's not much fluff in this story and I thought it would be nice to have a chapter where the two of them share a moment. _

_On a side note, is anyone else not receiving email from Fanfiction . net? I'm not getting any of my story alerts or review alerts. I'm pretty sure it's not my email. Anyone else having this issue?_


	6. Chapter 6

_She was happy. The whole house was warm and she could hear her mother's radio playing in the kitchen. She sat on the floor, brushing her dolls hair and getting ready for the tea party her dad promised they would have when he got home from work._

_Maybe it would look nice for the party if mom braided her hair. She gathered up her doll and went to the kitchen to find her mom._

_As soon as she steeped through the door, the music stopped and suddenly, the house felt a lot colder._

"_Mom?" she called out._

"_You've been left alone because there's no one who wants to help you."_

"_No one loves you."_

_She turned around and looked up towards the stairs. It was those men talking again. Why were they here? Why wouldn't they just leave her alone?_

_Mom was here, she was just here in the house. What if those men had her upstairs? What if they were hurting mom?_

_She hurried up the stairs and to her parent's room. The room was empty, there wasn't even a bed. She ran to her own bedroom but neither mom nor those men were here. Alice went to her bed and sat down._

_She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and hoped it was her mother coming to find her. Instead, the Other appeared in the doorway, staring menacingly at her._

_She hugged her doll and closed her eyes tight. "Please don't hurt me again."_

_The Other grabbed her doll from her hands and held it out in front of her. "Why do you have this? Why do you have to hold on to such worthless crap?"_

_She watched as her doll was hurled at the window, breaking through the glass. She sobbed, not able to stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks._

_The Other stood over her and continued to berate her. "This is why I hate you. When the hell are you going to grow up? He's never coming back. Do you know why… because he hates you. He never wanted you, you were an accident. You made his life miserable and that's why he left. It's all your fault!"_

"_No it's not! Daddy loves me! He'd never leave me!" The Other backed up when she yelled and she felt a little bit stronger. She got off the bed and shoved the other back against the dresser._

_The Other grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her up off her feet. "You think you're stronger than me? You know what I think? I think you need to go through the window just like your little dolly."_

"_No!" she screamed and struggled to get free. "Please no!"_

"_Baby needs to go out the window. Maybe daddy will be down there to catch you." taunted the Other._

_They were at the window now, the Other still holding her up. "You know what else I know? He doesn't love you either. He's watching you right now, watching you struggle. If he loved you, he would have woken you up by now. You are nothing but a burden to him and to me. I'm doing us both a favor by getting rid of you."_

_She was flying through the air then, heading straight towards the window. She threw her hands out and they hit the glass. Shards of glass cut her hands as she kept moving through the window and hurtling towards the ground below._

"Alice! Wake up!"

Hatter had her wrist, trying to stop her from thrashing about. "Alice, stop moving, please! Let me see your hands."

She took a deep breath and tried to stay still as he held her palms and looked at them. She remembered her dream in bits and pieces. Did someone throw her through a window? The answer to her question came when blood started dripping down her writs and forearms.

She pulled her hands back from him and looked over her injuries. The palms of her hands and fingers were covered in so much blood, that she couldn't see how bad her cuts were. "Hatter!"

"It's ok." he said, trying to sound calm. "Get up and walk with me into the bathroom."

She tried to stand but found she couldn't. She was shaking too bad to walk on her own. Immediately, Hatter was at her side, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. He took her to the bathroom and ran her hands under warm water, washing away the blood and revealing several small cuts.

"See, luv, it's not as bad as it looks." He pressed a washcloth to each of her hands and curled her fingers tightly around them. "Just hold that there while I get some bandages."

She sat on the edge of the bathtub, not caring that she was still naked or how cold the tub was against her skin or the fact that there was blood on her stomach and legs. She was shaking badly now and nausea turned her stomach.

She wasn't safe. Not anywhere. "I'm not strong enough, I can't fight back."

She was completely powerless to stop whatever was happening to her. The next time she fell asleep, she probably wouldn't wake up. These things were going to kill her. Tears welled in her eyes and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

Hatter knelt down in front of her. "Alice, calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Let me have your hands so I can take care of them, ok?"

"_He doesn't love you either. He's watching you right now, watching you struggle. If he loved you, he would have woken you up by now."_

She yanked her hands away from him and held them close to her chest, curling in on herself. "Why didn't you wake me up? You saw me struggling; you let that thing attack me. Why?"

He tried to touch her, but she shrink away. "Tell me why."

"Because if I woke you up from just a bad dream, you still wouldn't have believed something was wrong." He touched her shoulder and this time she let him. "Alice, if I'd known you were going to be hurt this badly I would have woken you up sooner."

She let him take her hands and watched while he cleaned and bandaged her wounds. She didn't remember much about her dream, but she could still hear that thing taunting her.

When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper and still shaky. "She said you didn't love me. That I was just a problem to you and that was why you didn't wake me up."

"Who? Who said that to you?"

She tried to think but she couldn't remember the face that went with the voice and she started crying again. "I don't know."

He pulled her off the tub and into his lap, tucking her head under his chin and circling his arms around her. "Of course I love you. You don't listen to a word that thing says. It's just something the doctors put in your head to scare you." He pressed kisses to her hair, her forehead, her hand, anywhere he could reach. "I love you. Don't ever doubt that."

They sat there for what felt like forever. He slowly rocked her and rubbed her back and arms, keeping her tucked safely against his chest. Eventually, her shaking stopped and she calmed down. He washed the dried blood from her skin and helped her dress.

She watched while he dressed himself and got ready to leave. He told her they were going to the hospital and how good the doctors are. "They'll sort out whatever it is that was done to you, luv. By this time tomorrow you'll be sleeping like a baby and having only the best dreams."

He sounded confident enough but deep down, she knew he was just as scared as she was. She looked at her hands, small dots of blood had seeped through the bandages and her fingers ached every time she tried to use them. Whatever Dee and Dum did to her was much stronger that just bad dreams.

She was so tired. Her whole body ached and her eyes felt so heavy. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to stay awake. She was grateful when she and Hatter left the Tea House and started walking to the hospital. Movement and the chill of the night air helped keep her exhaustion at bay. Still, that would only last so long. When they got to the hospital, when she was sitting or laying in bed or where ever they were going to put her, she knew she'd fall asleep. She just hopped she'd be able to wake up again.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/n_

_Thank you all who are reading this story, I love the reviews and that you're all getting into it. This chapter has a bit of Hatter's back story. I'm basing this off the deleted scene info RHI gave us on their facebook page. I will post the scene at the bottom of this story if you'd like to read it. __If you'd like to see some of that scene, just go to RHI entertainment on facebook and look for the __ALICE Behind the Scenes [HQ] video__. __The full scene info is posted in the comments section. _

Alice was beyond exhausted. Even the long walk to the Hospital of Dreams couldn't keep her awake. She'd fallen asleep a few times while they walked. Hatter had to hold her up most of the time and shake her awake when she nodded off.

They finally reached the Hospital and Hatter led them to the reception desk. "We need to see Dr. Pendragon. It's an emergency."

The woman, a plump little red head, glared at them over the rim of her glasses. "I'm sorry sir, Dr. Pendragon is working with other patients now and is very busy. If you'd like to see him, you'll have to make an appointment."

The woman's words barely registered in her mind as her eyes were already closing again in sleep. It was Hatters fist slamming into the desk and the sound of wood splintering and cracking that jolted her awake.

"Do you know who she is? She's Alice, The Alice, of legend. Right now she's in a bad way. Now get moving and do whatever it is you need to do to get us in to see Pendragon."

The woman's rosy cheeks paled as she looked back and forth between them and the hole he'd just punched in the desk. "Right. I'll tell Dr. Pendragon that she's here to see him."

"Did you have to tell her that?" she asked, once the woman left.

"Course I did. How else was I supposed to get her to move that fast." He rubbed his hand over her back in an effort to keep her awake. "Stay with me, luv. It won't be long now. Dean Pendragon worked for the Queen before he joined Caterpillar. If anyone can figure out what Dee and Dum did to you, it's him."

"Do you know him?"

Hatter shrugged his shoulders. "Not exactly, but me father did. Hopefully, between that and you being who you are, he'll be willing to help us."

"And if he can't?" she asked, her voice wavering unintentionally.

"Then we'll go to Jack." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and took her bandaged hand in his, pressing a kiss to it.

The red haired woman hurried back into the hall, her heals clicking against the polished marble. "Dr. Pendragon will see you now."

Pendragon's office was on the lower floors of the building. Hatter had never met the man himself, but his father had always spoken highly of him. Pendragon had been recruited by the Queen the same way his father had been. They were both men of great talent and once the Queen got word of them; they were given no choice but to work for her.

His father had tried to protect him and keep him safe by not telling him details of his work at the Casino. He'd listen in however, when his father and brother thought he was asleep, as they talked about the things the Hearts made them do. They'd talk about Pendragon, about how he was working under Dee and Dum and the way they made him interrogate traitors to the crown. His father would say that he didn't think Pendragon was strong enough to last, that he'd take his life before long just to escape the Queen.

Unlike his father, Pendragon _had_ managed to escape the Queen. He'd been rescued by the Resistance and hidden away. He hated to admit it, but he had to thank Dodo. If it hadn't been for that fat old bird, he'd have never known that Pendragon was working here at the Hospital.

He didn't bother knocking on the office door before opening it. The room was sparsely lit, just enough light for the man inside to see his computer. The man was old, he looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties. He was busy typing on his computer and didn't bother to look away from his work when he spoke.

"Do you have any idea how busy I am? Every tea head in the world is going through withdrawal and they are all being dumped off here. I don't care if she's Alice of legend or not, I don't have time to help her."

Alice was leaning heavily against him, probably asleep again. He pulled her into the room and set her down in one of the large leather chairs.

"She was taken to the Casino and given to Dee and Dum. They did something to her and its hurting her now. "

"That's unfortunate. The doctors are good at what they do, if they want her dead, she'll be that way. What makes you think I can help her?" His words were flat and emotionless.

"Because my father told me you used to work with them. I figured you would know what they'd done to her."

"Your father?" Pendragon finally looked up at him, his eyes narrowing and brows knit in confusion.

"Harold Temple. He worked with the Suits in the Casino. He said you were a good doctor, and that you didn't want to hurt people the way you were made to."

"Harold…" Pendragon said his father's name slowly, and full of remorse. "I tried to help him. I told him to wait, that the Resistance would get him out too but…"

"I don't think any amount of time would have changed what he did." Hatter worked to push down the anger and pain he always felt when he thought of how his father took his own life.

"It's a few years too late, but I am sorry for your loss." Pendragon looked at Alice sleeping in the chair. "Tell me what they did to her?"

Hatter told him about how they rescued her from the Truth room and did his best to describe what Dee and Dum had done to her. He told him about the nightmares and injuries. He did his best to recall any details she's shared about the dreams.

Pendragon knelt in front of Alice, checking her pulse. "You interrupted the session, you shouldn't have done that."

"They had her over a pit, they were going to kill her. What else was I to do?" Taking her away from them obviously hadn't been enough

"Not step foot in that room I can tell you that. You have no idea how that therapy works. What you did caused this." Alice started twitching and thrashing about. He shook her, forcing her awake. "Alice, you need to stay awake until we get you into a therapy room."

"I don't know if I can. I'm so tired." Her voice was soft and strained. She sounded worse now then she had before.

Pendragon stood and gathered papers off his desk. "She's been in there too long, it's destroying her. We need to get her into therapy and get the doctors out of her head."

"I don't understand, that was three days ago. I took her away from them? How are they still hurting her?"

"You took her out of the Truth room physically, but mentally, she's never left. The room is just a reflection of what's going on inside her mind. The doctors implanted suggestions in her mind that allow them control over how she acts and feels. Without properly ending the session, those suggestions replay in her mind over and over again. When she's awake, she can…push them aside, but when she sleeps…"

"She's right back in there." Hatter looked at Alice who had already fallen asleep again. "How do we get her out?"

"Pick her up." Pendragon said as he went to hold the door open. "We're going to go back to the Truth room."

A/n

Here is the scene that I based Hatters back story on. If you skipped the author's notes at the top (shame on you) then read them to know what I'm talking about.

ALICE  
You think you can win?

HATTER  
I have to try. As Dodo said, I've lived my  
life playing both sides of the court.  
Something I inherited from my family. Now  
it's time to take a stand.

ALICE  
Your family? What did they do?

HATTER  
My father and my brother both worked for  
the Queen. I shouldn' t blame them... what  
are ambitious men to do in a world like  
this? There's one way up. .. take it or leave it.

ALICE  
But you didn' t take it.

HATTER  
I had their example before me.

ALICE  
What do you mean?

HATTER  
My father hated what he'd done... what he'd  
had to do. Hated it so much he finally  
poisoned himself... a painful way to go. My  
brother, on the other hand, found his true  
calling. A natural born killer. I kept out  
of his way until I couldn' t anymore. He  
came after me.. .  
(a beat)  
... I got him first.

ALICE  
My god...

HATTER  
After that I had to work both sides... it  
was the only way I could stay alive. I'd  
make the Hearts think I was working for  
them, while I fed their enemies... well...  
those days are over.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/n_

_Here you go the last chapter of this story. I know everyone has their own ideas as to what is happening with Alice and hopefully I don't disappoint any of you. Enjoy!_

Hatter was shaking her awake again. She'd been trying so hard to stay awake for him but it was impossible. Pendragon kept asking her question but she had no idea how many she'd actually answered.

"Alice, listen to me." Pendragon was speaking to her and it was hard but she managed to open her eyes. "We're going to leave you in this room and I'm going to start the program. I'm going to put you back into the session you were having with Dee and Dum."

"No!" Panic seized her and the adrenaline rush she felt kept her awake. "You can't put me back in there. Please!"

Hatter was next to her, sitting on the cot holding her hand. "We don't have another choice. This is the only way to fix things."

She clung to his hand and looked at him imploringly. "Don't leave me, stay, please."

"He can't," said Pendragon. "That is not how this therapy works. If you want, he can come with me to the control room. He can watch you there and even speak to you if you need him too."

Hatter got off the cot and knelt at the edge of the bed. "Lay down, luv. Just go to sleep and we'll get through this. I won't be far away. If anything goes wrong, I'll come get you."

"Promise?" Realistically, she knew there wasn't anything he would be able to do to save her but just hearing the words made her feel better.

"I promise," he said, brushing his hand over her hair.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on Hatter and not think about what was going to happen when she fell asleep.

Hatter followed Pendragon into the control room. He watched as the older man switched on monitors and started up computers.

"We don't use this type of therapy." Pendragon told him as he typed commands into the computer. "Caterpillar saw the danger in it and banned its use."

Hatter sat down behind him, not wanting to get in his way. He wished there was something he could do to help just so he wouldn't feel so useless. "You're sure you can help her? This will work, right?"

Pendragon hesitated a second too long before answering, which made Hatter think this was way more risky then he was letting on. "Dee and Dum were the original creators of this program. In the time I worked with them I learned how to run and use this therapy. I should be able to erase the suggestions they placed in her, and put in my own."

"Should?"

"It's been years since I worked for the doctors. They've had time to… perfect their art, so to speak. The fact that she's being hurt in the physical world is a testament to how powerful they are."

The monitors flashed and for the first time, Hatter was able to see Alice's nightmare world. He recognized the room he and Charlie had saved her from but the rest was unfamiliar to him. It looked normal enough, just a house, nothing scary. Each monitor had a different view of the house.

"The original intent of this type of therapy was to empower the patient to face and overcome their fears. Instead the doctors used it to make people helpless and attack them with their fears. This thing that keeps hurting Alice is a manifestation of her deepest fear. It's been loose in her mind for days now, running about unchecked. There's no telling how strong her fear has become. If I can reverse the suggestions and make her strong enough, she should be able fight it."

Pendragon slipped on a set of headphones and listened for a moment before taking them off and typing in more commands into the computer. "Once Alice feels she has control of this world, all she has to do is face her fears and the session can end."

Hatter watched on the monitor as a little girl appeared on the couch. She looked young, maybe ten or just a little older. "Is that Alice?"

"Yes," said Pendragon. "The doctors reverted her to a child to make her helpless."

Alice was strong-willed as an adult and an even stronger fighter. Seeing her like this, he finally understood why she kept saying she wasn't strong enough to fight in her dreams. "Can't you change that? I thought you were going to make her feel stronger?"

Pendragon looked at the monitors. "I did when I entered in my suggestions. She should be more in control now."

Young Alice sat up on the couch, peeking over the back then quickly flinching away and ducking down into the cushions.

Hatter walked over to the monitors so he could see better. "Then why isn't she? Why is she still a child?"

Pendragon quickly typed more commands into the computer but nothing on the monitors changed. "I'm not sure. I've removed the doctors' voices but she's not responding to my suggestions." He grabbed a microphone and plugged it into the system. "Alice? Can you hear me?"

Young Alice looked up at the monitor but didn't say anything.

When Pendragon spoke, his tone was gentle and light, much the way one would talk to an actual child. "Alice, you need to go upstairs and close that door."

"I can't," Alice said, already sounding upset. "If I go up there, she'll hurt me."

Pendragon was about to speak to Alice again, but she screamed and ran from the room. Hatter watched as she ran into the kitchen followed closely by a swift moving black mass. In the kitchen, Alice hid under the table, curling on the floor and drawing her knees up close to her chest.

Hatter looked over the monitors trying to find what was chasing Alice. "What is that thing that's chasing her?"

Pendragon changed the camera angle on several of the monitors. "Her fear, it knows we're watching. Whatever it is, it's hiding from us."

Movement erupted from the kitchen monitor as the table was flipped over and chairs were thrown aside. Alice crawled on hands and knees away from something they couldn't see. Invisible forces yanked her leg back and dragged her across the floor. She was screaming and clawing at the tile trying to keep away from whatever had hold of her. Then, almost faster than the camera could capture, Alice was pulled out the room and up the stairs.

Hatter grabbed the microphone from Pendragon's hand. "Alice! Alice, answer me!"

He couldn't see her but he heard Alice scream. Then, suddenly, the speakers gave a high pitch wine before cutting off completely. One by one each monitor gave a hiss and a pop before showing nothing but snowy static.

Pendragon typed franticly on the keyboard trying to regain control over the system. "This shouldn't be happening. There's no way her mind could take control like this."

"That's enough; I'm getting her out of there."

He went to leave but Pendragon stopped him. "You can't go in there. Her mind will suck you in, there's no way to know how it will affect you. Even if you do manage to get to her, you might not be able to get back out."

"I did before. I saved her last time. I pulled her out of there."

Pendragon slumped down in his chair and again started working with the computer. "You got lucky before. The doctors were controlling things last time. This time it's her fear that's running this session. There's nothing controlling this now other than her fear's own desire to destroy itself."

It didn't matter how dangerous it was, he wasn't going to sit back and let Alice die. "I'm not going to leave her alone in there. I promised her I'd save her if I had to and I will."

It was a short distance from the control room to the Truth room. Hatter approached the door, the quiet humming of the room's generators filling the hallway. He rested his hand on the doorknob but hesitated to move any further. He didn't know what was going to happen to him in there but he had to try and save Alice.

He twisted the doorknob and…

_Stepped through the door and into the hallway of the home. He remembered doing this before with Charlie, it hadn't seemed quite as menacing then. In a way it still didn't. Photos of Alice and her family lined the walls and the house was still and quit. _

_There was a large, gold framed mirror at the end of the foyer and he didn't quite believe the reflection that stared back at him. _

_His thirteen year old self stared unblinkingly back at him, dressed in his favorite shirt and the jacket his brother had given him. He raised a hand to feel the smooth skin of his cheek and watched his reflection as he ran his hand over his much shorter hair._

_Then the idea accrued to him that he shouldn't be in this stranger's house. He needed to leave or he'd be late meeting March. He looked around at the house he was in and stared at the photo of a smiling dark haired girl. Did he know her? Was she who he was here to see?_

_No, he didn't know her. He'd remember a pretty girl like her. He turned and started walking away when he heard a scream from the other room. _

"_Help me! Someone, please!" _

_He ran from the foyer and into the living room. He looked around but didn't see anyone. The scream came again, drawing his attention to the stairs behind him._

_There were three steps leading up to a small landing and then empty space where stairs used to be. Only the top three steps were left hanging down over a deep pit of black nothingness. The girl sitting on the steps, clinging to the crumbling railing, was the same one from the photos. She had a deep bruise on her cheek and her lip was bleeding. _

_She was looking away from the broken stairs and up at someone he couldn't see. "Please, please don't let me fall. I'll be good, I promise. I'll keep quiet and I won't bother you, I promise."_

"_Bull shit! You're not good for anything. I'm not going to keep useless trash like you. Get your ass in the pit!" _

_When the shrill voice from the top of the stairs stopped yelling, a tremor ran through the house and more of the stairs crumbled into the deep pit of nothing. The girl screamed again and tightened her hold on the railing._

"_Hey!" he called out to her. "Jump and I'll catch you."_

_She kept her eyes shut tight and shook her head. "No, I can't! I'll fall!"_

_Hatter stepped as close as he could to the edge of the platform. "It's not that big of a gap, you can make it if you try."_

"_She won't!" yelled the voice. "She's afraid of everything. She needs to die!"_

_Another tremor ripped through the house and the stair under the girls feet started to crumble. _

"_Jump, now! If you don't, you'll never make it." He held his arms out. "Look at me!"_

_The girl opened her blue eyes and stared down at him._

"_You have to jump." he said, stretching his arms out just a little further. "I'll catch you."_

_The voice mumbled something he couldn't hear. The girl looked up for a moment before looking back down at him. "Why? Why would you help me?"_

_Why was he helping her? He didn't know her and whatever was going on here was none of his business. He was risking his life for a complete stranger which was the exact opposite of what his brother had taught him. There was a chance she'd fall and take him with her. Or maybe he'd catch her and lose his balance, making them both fall into the pit. _

_The girl was staring at him, her blue eyes shining with unleashed tears. Even with the bruising and the blood on her lip and chin, she was still really pretty. _

'_Why would you help me?'_

_She'd asked him that question before, hadn't she? He'd helped her, before all this and she'd asked him the same question. She was waiting for him to answer and she wouldn't jump until he did. "Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl?"_

_Another tremor came and more of the stairs fell. The stairs above her shook loose and fell away, leaving the only stair left the one she was standing on. _

_The girl let go of the railing and stood. "You promise me you'll catch me?"_

_He answered without even thinking. "I promise."_

_She jumped and he reached out, catching her around the waist. They fell backwards and onto the landing. _

_He was surprised when she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head against his chest. _

"_Thank you, Hatter, for saving me."_

_He smiled and returned her hug. "I'll always save you, Alice."_

_Alice?_

_Suddenly he remembered everything. He was back to normal now, young Alice still curled against him. He didn't know what made him forget who he was but now that he remembered, he needed Alice to do the same."Alice, you're an adult. You're not weak or powerless and you are certainly not alone. I need you to believe that so we can get out of here."_

"_You really shouldn't lie to her, she's sensitive, you know."_

_At the sound of that voice, Alice whimpered and stiffened in his arms. Standing there before them was Alice. Not his Alice, but a teenage version of her. She was dressed in black, black dress and tights, black chocker around her neck. Her hair was short, falling just below her ears, and dyed black. Her skin was pale making the black makeup around her eyes stand out. Her eyes weren't blue like Alice's, they were completely black. Her piercing gaze was fixed on the little girl cowering in his arms. _

_He stood and pushed young Alice behind him. He could feel her trembling as she leaned against him and clutched the edges of his coat._

"_What are you?" He knew this was Alice's fear but he wanted to know what this thing thought of itself. _

"_I'm the truth." She said simply._

"_No, you're Alice's fear. Are you the thing that's been hurting her?"_

_She rolled her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth. "No! I'm the truth. I'm all the things this little twerp knows but turns a blind eye too. Isn't that right, baby?"_

_Behind him, Alice whimpered but didn't answer the other version of her._

_He had no idea how to handle this… thing, but he needed to keep it busy until he figured out what its game was. "Why are you trying to hurt her?" _

"_Because!" She said stomping her foot. "She's the problem! She doesn't want to grow up and face reality. She clings to the past and won't let things die. She hopes, she dreams. She doesn't learn from her mistakes. She's broken, and broken things are trash."She huffed and crossed her arms. "Why do you want to help her?"_

_He reached back and covered Alice's hands with his own, "Because I love her."_

"_Liar!" Her eyes flashed with anger before she calmed herself and laughed. "Silly boy, there's no such thing as love. There are just different levels of feels good. You only think you love her because she's convenient for you. Once you find something better, you're going to leave her just like just like all the others."_

_From behind him Alice spoke, sounding slightly stronger. "No, I trust him. He's not going to leave me."_

_She moved faster than he could react. Young Alice was yanked away from him and older Alice was holding her by the wrists, yelling down at her._

"_They're all going to leave you!" Older Alice turned young Alice so they were both facing him. "He's just using you the same way he's used every other woman he could get his filthy hands on. How many men are you going to waste your time on before you realize none of them want a broken piece of trash like you?"_

_Older Alice shoved young Alice to the ground, pulling her fist back and getting ready to strike. Young Alice just closed her eyes and held her hands up in defense, waiting for the blow. _

_Hatter didn't wait. He lunged at the two of them, knocking older Alice into the back of the couch. She fought back and was a lot stronger then he thought she'd be. He tried to pin her to the ground but she pulled out of his grasp and pushed him backwards, knocking him into the wall. _

"_Please don't hurt him." begged young Alice._

_Older Alice smiled down at her counterpart. "What are you gonna do, Stop me?" _

_She grabbed his wrist and pinned them back against the wall. "Do you like playing hero? Is that why you like her so much? She gave you the chance to redeem yourself, to prove that you're something more than a liar and a drug dealer. But you're not, are you?"_

_He tried to break free of her hold but couldn't, she was far stronger then she should be. She seemed pleased at his attempts at freedom. "Do you know what's going to happen when I finally get rid of her? I'm going to be in charge. The first thing I'm going to do when I get control is leave your sorry ass. That Jack Heart, he asked Alice to marry him. She didn't tell you that did she? I'm going to take him up on that offer and then guess who's going to be the new Queen of Hearts?"_

_Behind them, young Alice got to her feet. "No, I don't love Jack."_

"_Did I ask what you want?" older Alice yelled. "I'm gonna be Queen you idiot. You're so pathetic. I already told you love's not real."_

_While older Alice was distracted, Hatter drew his legs up and kicked her hard, making contact with her knee. She screamed and let go of his wrists as she stumbled backwards. Quickly, he got to his feet and went to attack her. She knocked back his right hand while grabbing his left and twisting it behind his back. He screamed in pain as she forced him to his knees. _

"_Let him go!"_

_Hatter looked over at Alice. She wasn't a child anymore. She was now back to her true age and size. The girl behind him tightened her hold and pulled his arm back further. "You think it makes any difference how old you are? I'm still stronger than you. You can't stop me."_

_Alice stepped closer. "You're not stronger than me. You're not even real."_

_Hatter felt the hold on his arm loosen and he started struggling harder to get free. _

"_I'm real." The girl argued. _

_Alice stepped closer. When she spoke, she didn't sound angry or scared. She was completely calm. "No. All you are is hurt and anger and doubt. You're just something I let build up. I didn't want to believe that any part of me could feel the way you do."_

_Hatter pulled his arm free and stumbled forward. The girl didn't try to go after him and he stood back and watched while they stood staring at each other. _

_The girl shook her head and backed away from Alice. "I've been right more times then you. Dad never did come back."_

_For every step backward the girl took, Alice took a step forward. "It wasn't his choice to leave. He would have come back if he could have and he did love me. You were wrong about all of that."_

_The girl started to fade a little "What about all those men you dated. None of them cared about you. I was right about all of them. None of them wanted you."_

_Alice stayed calm as she continued to advance on the girl. "That's not true either. I pushed them away, it wasn't their fault. I think a lot of that was your fault."_

_The girl was becoming transparent now and looked truly panicked. "I kept you from getting too close to them. They weren't going to stay. If you cared about them, if I let you get your hopes up, it would have only hurt when they left you. I saved you from them! You need me!"_

_The girl was backed against the wall now, trapped between it and Alice. She was almost transparent now and Hatter could barely make out her silhouette._

"_You may have kept me from being hurt but you also kept me from living my life. You made me scared of taking any kind of chance with people. I may not have been hurt because of you but I wasn't happy either. All you ever did was tell me how things can go wrong, you never let me see how things could go right."_

_The girl tried to speak but no sound came out. _

_Alice shook her head. "You know what? I don't care if I get hurt, I want to be happy." Alice turned her back to the girl. "I don't need you."_

_Those words seemed to be what finished the girl off. She faded into nothing and was gone. _

_Alice rushed to him and threw her arms around him. "Hatter, I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"_

"_I'm fine, luv." He returned her embrace and buried his face in her hair. He was tired, his shoulder hurt, and his back was sore, but none of that mattered._

_He leaned back and brushed the hair away from her face, studying the bruise and cut there. "Are you ok?"_

_She leaned into his touch and nuzzled the palm of his hand. "Yeah, I'm fine."_

The house around them disappeared leaving them back in the empty Truth room.

Alice leaned heavily against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Hatter… I'm really, really tired."

The door to the truth room opened and Pendragon entered, followed closely by an older man with glasses and a green suit.

"I see you both made it out alive. Not the outcome I was expecting." said the man in the green suit. "Ask her if she's feeling normal again."

Alice didn't bother looking up to see who was speaking to her. "I'm right here Caterpillar, you can ask me yourself."

Hatter had heard rumors that Caterpillar was dead. To see the man alive, to even be in his presence, was a shock.

Pendragon stood next to Caterpillar. "After Hatter joined you in the Truth room, I was never able to reconnect the system to your session. I assume from the fact that the room let you out, that your session must be over."

"Alice?" said Caterpillar. "Can you explain to us what happened during your session?"

Alice groaned against him. "Hatter, please. I'm tired."

Hatter didn't care if it was the leader of the Resistance asking for an explanation, if Alice was tired then she didn't have to talk to him. "This can wait until morning. We're both tired."

Caterpillar nodded to Pendragon who hurried out of the room. "You'll both need to stay here tonight and be monitored."

Pendragon set them up in a private room on a higher floor of the hospital. Alice had fallen asleep as soon as he laid her down in bed but Hatter stayed up watching her. An hour had passed and she hadn't so much as twitched. Hatter curled up behind her, resting his hand over her chest. Her breathing was regular and her heartbeat was steady. He stayed curled around her as he fell asleep, just in case she needed him to wake her up.

She didn't. The next morning, Alice woke up, smiling and happy.

A/n

This is the official end of this story. I will write an epilog if my muse gives me a good idea for one. For now, I'm calling this done. Thank you everyone who read and reviewed this, you all make me so happy.

I hope I did a good job explaining my idea here and wrapping things up. If not, just let me know and I'll clear things up for you.

The next chapter of Unexpected Delays will be up next week. And maybe a Lesson in Love after that.


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